An automated biochemical analyzer is used for the analysis of biochemical test assays, immune test assays, and the like. The automated biochemical analyzer optically measures a change in color tone and turbidity caused by the reaction of a stirrer of a sample taken from a subject and a reagent used for the analysis of a test assay. Based on this measurement, the automated biochemical analyzer generates analysis data that is represented by the concentration or density of a variety of test assay components in the sample, enzyme activity, and the like.
The automated biochemical analyzer analyzes a test assay selected according to the test after storing reagent containers in a reagent storage. The reagent containers include a container for retaining a first reagent of one-reagent system, a container for retaining a first reagent of two-reagent system, and a container for retaining a second reagent that is paired up with the first reagent. Then, the automated biochemical analyzer aspirates a sample from a sample container by a sample dispensing probe and dispenses it into a reaction cell, and aspirates the reagent from the reagent container by a reagent dispensing probe and dispenses it into the reaction cell. The automated biochemical analyzer measures the stirrer of the sample and the reagent dispensed into the reaction cell.
Generally, reagents of two-reagent system are used for most test assays. Some reagents of two-reagent system have to be used in a predetermined combination of a lot of the first reagent and a lot of the second reagent. Accordingly, if at least one of the first reagent and the second reagent is insufficient in the reagent containers stored in the reagent storage and there is a need to replace both the reagents, it is required to find and retrieve the two reagent containers from the reagent storage for the replacement. This is time consuming.